We had the good fortune of connecting with Diana Einstein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana, life can be so busy as an adult, and for many, especially those who’ve moved to a new city, making friends can be hard. We’d love to hear your thoughts?
As an adult, most friends are placed into a certain category: professional or work friend, family friend, personal friend, parent of my kids’ friends’ friend. Often times we meet someone within one of these categories and develop a base friendship there. Depending on how the friendship is formed, some adults feel they must be guarded or resist crossing the line into becoming “real” friends. If things go well, the friendship leaps through that first category and into someone you see or chat with outside of that first category. You go out to dinner or meet their spouse, you call each other on the weekend to say hi and end up talking for 45 minutes, It’s a rare occurrence because adults have an incredible amount of responsibility that gets prioritized over watering and nurturing relationships. I believe creating and growing new friendships is a gift and something that can be accomplished if you have realistic expectations. Adults should not evaluate friendships by the number of times a friend called you or how many times you’ve seen each other. Consider calling that new friend while you’re out on a walk, or sending them an article you think might inspire them. Send them a treat when they’ve accomplished something at work or if they could use an extra smile. Managing expectations of the value of friendship as an adult means we must twist the bar (not lower it).

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am most proud of the relationships I build and the opportunities I have to connect people with similar passions. I sincerely enjoy getting to know people…their histories, their hopes, and their potential. A successful community must be a connected community, and I thrive on making those connections. Every relationship is important and the Dallas community is really proud of our social capital, y’all (shoutout to Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew). True leaders and professionals have risen to their positions because others believed in them, supported them, and gave them the opportunity to shine. In every stage of my career and in each position I’ve held, there have been challenges turned into opportunities for growth and days where I left uninspired only to come in the next morning to find a new project being offered. I believe confidence and genuine appreciation of people help pave the road to your next opportunity.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
I love bringing people to the Nasher on a Saturday. We arrive around 11am, peruse the inside of the museum, have lunch at the little cafe and then head outside to the sculpture garden. I love Klyde Warren Park and building a day around our visit. Sometimes we will begin at the Dallas Museum of Art, exploring a new exhibition and the kids area. After an hour or two, we cross the street to Klyde Warren Park and have lunch from the food trucks. Or, we’ll bring bathing suits for the kids and let them play at the park and then have lunch. Tacos are a must while in Dallas and there are many places we love near us including Velvet Taco, Torchy’s and Fuzzy’s. I really enjoy bringing people to different neighborhoods of Dallas that include dinner, a chance to walk around, and a great dessert. I really enjoy noodles at Monkey King in Deep Ellum and barbecue at Lockhart Smokehouse in Bishop Arts. If it’s the right time of year, I love going to the State Fair of Texas! My favorite is when friends from the Northeast visit and they see the incredible variety of fried foods offered.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This shoutout is dedicated to three of my Mayor’s Star Council family members, Enisha Williams, Lane Conner and Trey Bowles (also known as Enishamylove, Laneford and Treymond.) This incredible group of people are some of the most dedicated, passionate and hard working team members I have ever had the joy of working with. For years they have inspired me, challenged me, supported me and worked alongside me. As the only staff person of MSC, I am even more grateful to them for the number of hours they have given because I can only pay them in hugs.

Website: www.mayorstarcouncil.org
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/diana-coben-einstein-904a702/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diana.c.einstein